The number of childless men who are opting for vasectomies has been on the rise in recent years. This is due to a number of reasons. Childless men are choosing to get vasectomies as an
alternative to the pill, which is only available for women. Without an alternative equivalent for men, men are in search for a way to fulfill the desire to have more control over their reproductive rights, and not wanting to have children with women they may not be in a committed relationship with.
Vasectomy is a surgical procedure that involves cutting the vas deferens or the tube that carries sperm from the testicles to the penis. This is done to prevent pregnancy but does not prevent a man from getting infected with a disease. The procedure increases a man’s chances of preventing unwanted pregnancies up to 99% and is nearly 100% effective when used in tandem with condoms and other forms of birth control.
A study done by researchers at the University of California, San Francisco found that there has been an increase in vasectomies among childless men. The study was based on data collected from 2006-2010 and found that during this time period, there was an increase of 1% per year among these men while the rate among fathers who had at least one child remained consistent. This trend is not isolated to just one region or country as it is seen across different regions and countries. In fact, it is so widespread that some countries are seeing an upsurge in rates as high as 5% per year.
There are many factors that contribute to the increasing number of childless men. One of the most popular reasons is that many men are feeling the pressures of a society which is evermore expensive, uncertain, unsafe and does not generally support parenthood. Additionally men feel like the world is unsympathetic to fatherhood and they are unwilling to have their lives dictated by women and courts.
Should women have to consult her partner before deciding whether or not to have an abortion? Legally it’s a tough question to answer, but morally, the answer seems much clearer to many men. They both have a stake in the decision as they will both be responsible for taking care of their child. This logically would mean that both should have a say whether or not they should be parents or remain childless, but that’s not how it’s practiced. Because of this, more men choosing to get vasectomies and rejecting fatherhood, and men are claiming first right of refusal.
Even before Roe v. Wade, men had no legal say in the matter of whether they could have children or not. Men were not required to be consulted on the decision to have an abortion, and if a woman had a baby without his consent, he would be legally obligated to provide financial support for the child. In 1973, Roe v. Wade was passed, and women finally had their say in whether they wanted to procreate or not. But men, who bore ½ of the parenting and financial the responsibility, still were without rights.
With Roe v Wade overturned and states enacting aggressive laws targeting abortions, men have now lost the only right they had after pregnancy; the right to persuade. In recent months there has been a growing trend of more men realizing this. Many of these men are choosing to live childfree lives and do not want any children at all for various reasons such as being too busy with work or not wanting responsibility for raising a child. It has been found that more men are opting for vasectomy these days, especially those who have never had any children or those who have had children but are not ready for another one.
There are positive and negative effects on society as a whole. One reason why the movement to remain childfree is concerning is because of it’s effects on the economy. Americans are growing older and more younger workers are needed to support social programs like medicare and social security. Without reaching the replacement rate, the country will fall short of its ability to support the economy. According to wri.org, replacement level fertility” is the total fertility rate—the average number of children born per woman at which a population exactly replaces itself from one generation to the next, without migration. This rate is roughly 2.1 children per woman for most countries, although it may modestly vary with mortality rates. Without men participating in fathering children, that number, which now sits at 1.64 in the U.S. will plummet. The consequences of this choice will shift global power.
